1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic appliance having an operation panel provided with a display unit and various kinds of operation buttons, which is mounted in a motor vehicle that is a moving body.
2. Description of the Related Art
The instrument panel of a motor vehicle is equipped with a “car stereo” that is an electronic equipment. The car stereo includes an appliance body attached to the instrument panel and an operation panel equipped with a display unit such as a liquid crystal (LC) display and various operating buttons.
The appliance body incorporates a CD player, MD (Mini disc) player, a CD-ROM player serving as a navigation device, etc. The operation panel serves to display on the LC display the map information in the navigation device and the reproducing status of the CD player and MD player. The operation panel is equipped with touching switches or push buttons used when the operation command for various functions of the navigation device, CD player and MD player is executed.
In order to limit the installing space, the above car stereo has an inserting inlet where the above CD, MD or CD-ROM can freely taken in or out from the side (referred to the front face) facing a user of the appliance body. The operation panel of the car stereo is made slide-movable over the distance from the position where it covers the front face to the position where it opens at least a part of the front face. Therefore, the operation panel is attached to the appliance body so as to have a slight gap on its portion.
In the above car stereo, with the operation panel located at the position where it opens at least a portion of the front face, the CD, MD or CD-ROM is taken out from and in the appliance body. After the CD, MD or CD-ROM has been inserted in the appliance body, the operation panel is moved to the position where it covers the front face. Then, the touch switch or various push buttons are operated to drive the CD player, MD player or CD-ROM player. Thus, the information representative of the reproducing status of these players is displayed on the LC display.
In the above conventional car stereo, the operation panel is slide-movable between the position where it covers the front face and the position where it opens a part of the front face. In order to prevent the operation panel from vibrating owing to the vibration of the motor vehicle to generate foreign sound, an elastic body such as a cushion is attached to the front face of the appliance body. In this case, when the operation panel is located at the position where it covers the front side, the elastic body is pushed toward the rear side of the operation panel so that it is compressed. Owing to the restitution of the elastic body, the operation panel is urged toward the user.
When the user pushes the touch switch or push buttons against the urging force of the elastic body, the operation panel will move slightly. Therefore, the operation panel moves in the same direction as the pushing direction. Accordingly, good tactile feel cannot be given to the user.